Mock Draft: Steelers Find Three Defensive Stars
With the Super Bowl concluded and the Kansas City Chiefs declared world champions, It's officially NFL Draft season, which also means mock draft season is also in full swing. It's obviously very early in the process with important events still to take place such as the NFL Combine and Pro Days, meaning it's pretty difficult to narrow down potential links to the Pittsburgh Steelers just yet.
While we have a general idea of the team's strengths and weaknesses, free agency is still several weeks away, and that should hopefully help narrow down potential team needs.
So with that in mind, this mock draft is going to have more of a "this is what I would do" feel to it rather than trying to hopelessly predict the future without the necessary information to connect the dots. Let's keep the main goal fairly simple, draft some good players and make the Steelers a better football team in the process.
Here we go.
Round 1, Pick 17: DB Brian Branch (Alabama)
I know that taking a slot corner/safety is a bit unconventional to some but stick with me here because Branch is absolutely one of the best defensive players in the entire class regardless of position.
Aligning at the "star" (Minkah Fitzpatrick's college position) for the Crimson Tide, Branch displays the ability to fit the run with physicality as a reliable tackler, cover multiple different body types in the slot while also moonlighting as a blitzer off the edge. He's a swiss army knife with problem-solving capabilities that allows your defense to feel comfortable regardless of opposition.
Branch is an instinctual, twitched-up athlete who checks a lot of boxes for what the Steelers look for in a defensive back. Branch can do all of the things that Mike Hilton and Arthur Maulet have done in years past while being a bigger, better athlete with much more upside in coverage.
In the event that Terrell Edmunds and/or Damontae Kazee cannot be retained, it's feasible to project Branch to a more traditional strong safety role on early downs. Branch is one of "my guys" in this class, and someone I'm bullish on early in the process as he should be an impact player early on at the next level.
Positional value could push him further down the board than where he deserves to be selected but if he's there at 17, run to the podium and don't look back.
Round 2, Pick 32: OT Darnell Wright (Tennessee)
Wright comes equipped with four years of starting experience at both tackle positions and saved his best for last, enjoying a breakout senior season where he was both consistent and dominant. Wright has a massive frame at 6-foot-5, 340 pounds, and the requisite length that NFL teams will be searching for in a starting tackle.
To say that Wright plays with a mean streak would be a massive understatement, as he's a finisher who looks to impose his will on defenders. Wright is an outstanding pass protector who's technically advanced while showing surprising ability to recover and mirror movements for his size.
He's played a lot of ball with some of his most impressive moments coming against premier competition, with incredible performances in pass pro against Alabama's Will Anderson and LSU's B.J. Ojulari. Whether it's using his signature snatch-trap move or simply engulfing rushers with his size, the polish on film speaks for itself.
Wright is a plug-and-play tackle at the next level who could offer the Steelers the ability to upgrade at a premium position in order to try and protect Kenny Pickett. Chukwuma Okorafor carries a significant cap hit in comparison to his on-field production, and Dan Moore Jr. hasn't shown enough consistent growth to deter Pittsburgh from addressing this position early on during draft weekend.
Round 2, Pick 49: DE Keeanu Benton (Wisconsin)
Another four-year contributor, Benton's been an impactful contributor who's continually gotten better and better each and every season. He often aligns as the 0 or 1-technique for Wisconsin's defense, but he likely projects even better as a traditional 3-tech in Pittsburgh's 3-4 base front.
Benton offers an enticing blend of size and athleticism to go with plus length for the position. He uses that length to control blockers in the run game and has knockback capabilities thanks to his powerful hands. As a pass rusher, his go-to signature move is a club-swim/club rip where he'll flash quick hand usage and his unique athleticism for his size profile.
Benton's still ironing out his pass-rushing repertoire and overall plan of attack, but he's shown improvement year over year, with a career-high six sacks in 2022, and possesses the type of athletic tools to suggest a relatively high ceiling.
A move to defensive end would help mask some of his issues with inconsistent leverage and taking on double teams. From a short-term perspective, Larry Ogunjobi and Chris Wormley are both impending free agents and with the team still trying to figure out where to play DeMarvin Leal, there are more questions than answers at the moment. Add in the fact that Cam Heyward can't play forever and this is a match that makes too much sense.
Round 3, Pick 80: CB Julius Brents (Kansas State)
If you like physical cornerbacks with both size and length, Brents is your type of dude with verified measurements of 6-foot-3, 203 pounds and 33 3/4 arms.
After transferring to Kansas State from Iowa, Brents really took off and took significant steps forward in his development. The physicality sticks out on tape as he's one of the best run-defending corners in the class who shows no fear of taking on blockers at the point of attack and is capable of throwing his weight around as a tackler.
In coverage, Brents has experience in different alignments but offers substantial upside if in the market for a press corner with quick feet, fluid hips, and solid deep speed in relation to his size.
One thing that I really liked from Brents's tape and, in particular, his one-on-one reps at the Senior Bowl in Mobile was his patience at the line of scrimmage and general fluidity which is impressive for a tall, lanky cornerback.
Pittsburgh played more man coverage than just about anyone last season in Teryl Austin's first year as the defensive coordinator and if they want to maximize that strategy, getting a press corner with traits should be high on the priority list. Cam Sutton will likely be back and while the Steelers have adequate talent in the cornerback room, they don't have a developmental player with upside to mold.
Brents has the type of athletic profile and skill set that the team has been seeking for quite some time.
Round 4, Pick 120: WR Rakim Jarrett (Maryland)
A former 5-star recruit who remained local for his collegiate years, Jarrett's always been a talented player with the football in his hands. The Terps' offense made a continual, concentrated effort to get the ball to him in space at all costs because of how effective he is after the catch. Whether that was on jet sweeps, screens, or in the underneath passing game, Jarrett can be somewhat of an easy button for cheap yards through the air.
Jarrett is a good athlete whose quickness makes him pretty elusive, but he's also a strong receiver, particularly in his lower half, showcasing the ability to run through arm tackles to generate yards after contact.
Jarrett's production itself never really matched his talent level, never quite breaking out over the years but some of that was due to him falling victim to a deep receiving corps on offense. During his sophomore season, he played a good amount out wide but transitioned to more of a full-time slot role this past year which is likely where his NFL career will take flight.
Pittsburgh has Calvin Austin coming back from injury, but he's never played inside, making his projection a bit murky. The Steelers got essentially nothing from their slot receivers last season, especially in terms of creation after the catch but adding Jarrett and Austin to the mix could hopefully remedy that.
Round 7, Pick 236: EDGE Jose Ramirez (Eastern Michigan)
The latter portions of the NFL drafts are littered with potential rags-to-riches stories, and that's what Ramirez is used to as an unranked high school recruit out of Tampa.
An unranked prospect who really put himself on the map after a strong 2021 season before leveling up once again, finishing second in the NCAA with 12 sacks in 2022. Ramirez has a quick first step off the ball, can threaten offensive tackles with speed, and shows some lower-body flexibility with his ability to bend the corner through contact. He can also use his length to get into the chest of blockers, driving them backward, and has an ever-growing pass-rushing toolkit with a swim move and two-hand swipe as his current favorites.
Ramirez was invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas and helped his stock to the point where he really shouldn't be available during this portion of draft weekend. However, despite his elite production in recent years, Ramirez hasn't faced top-notch competition, making the jump to the next level even vaster.
Luckily for the Steelers, this is a very deep crop of edge rushers and could give them the ability to snag a developmental piece to add to their rotation. In recent years, Pittsburgh has wasted snaps with backup edge rushers who weren't legitimate threats to rush the passer.
I'm optimistic that Ramirez could at least slide into a designated pass-rushing role early on with room to potentially transform into a more complete, well-rounded player.
Round 7: Pick 243: OG Atonio Mafi (UCLA)
Another player who participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl all-star game, Mafi, is the epitome of a bully in the trenches. A former defensive lineman himself, Mafi made the transition to offense and utilizes his massive frame at 6-foot-4, 340 pounds to casually displace defenders with ease.
He's more of a mauler who excels in close quarters in the run game, making him more of a power/inside zone schematic fit. He is a reliable pass protector who handles defenders trying to run down the middle fairly well and helps out his teammates by looking for work when uncovered.
Surprising to most, Mafi was not invited to the combine, and while that certainly doesn't mean that he won't be selected come draft weekend, it likely indicates that opinions on him are all over the place.
Mafi plays mean, gives 100% on every rep and is the type of player an offensive line coach would love to get his hands on late in the draft. It's worth noting that he has experience playing both left and right guard in college, showcasing some versatility.
He might not be ready to push Kevin Dotson for a starting spot in year one, but he would be an intriguing add for depth purposes for offensive line coach Pat Meyer who exceeded expectations in year one.
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